A federal lawmaker from Rivers State, Hon. Solomon Bob has blasted the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Tinubu, Mr. Daniel Bwala, over his derogatory comments on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike recently.
Hon. Bob, who represents Abua/Odual and Ahoada East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abuja was reacting to remarks by Bwala on public television programme at the weekend, which he allegedly claimed the FCT Minister had been “adequately compensated” and implying that, Wike was obstructing Rivers State Governor, Simi Fugbara from performing.
A statement issued on Sunday, the lawmaker described Bwala as “an insignificant and attention-seeker punching above his weight”.
He also accused him of deliberately misrepresenting Wike and maliciously distorting the narrative describing the comments as “cheeky, unwarranted and stemming from premeditated bile.
Hon. Bob, stressed that Bwala deliberately veered from his subject to suggest that, public office was about personal gains rather than service.
“You could see that he deliberately deviated from the question to talk about the Minister as having been adequately compensated.
“Whatever that means Hon. Bob said, he clearly does not understand the Minister’s contributions to the current administration.
“Public office is about service delivery, not a gravy train ride.”
The Rivers lawmaker also faulted Bwala’s attempt to downplay Wike’s achievements in the FCT by attributing them solely to his exit from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
“Exiting the TSA itself was the Minister’s ingenious idea. The President’s approval underlined his confidence in the Minister’s ability to deliver.
That confidence is rooted in his outstanding records as former Rivers Governor: a record that even late President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged, despite not being enamoured of Wike,” he stated.
Hon. Bob further accused Bwala of poor judgment for allegedly implying that Wike was interfering with Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration.
“The manner of his comments is classic implication framing from a confused individual, who dabbles into everything including those beyond his competence and job description,” he said.
He maintained that Bwala had no authority to speak for Mr. President noted that, the aide was “way down the pecking order of presidential spokesmen” merely projecting personal sentiments as an official government position.
The lawmaker also suggested that Bwala’s outburst may be rooted in his long held bitterness over the defeat of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.
“Mr. Bwala opened his mouth because Minister Wike politically maneuvered Atiku Abubakar, who was his former boss before he jumped ship. He is still nursing a sense of what might have been, despite grovelling for job in a government made possible by people like the Minister,” Bob said.
He however advised the presidential aide to be mindful of his “boundaries, humble and be grateful” insisting that, Bwala lacked the credibility and capacity to function in his current role.
